Improvement in corn-planters



' BSheets-Sheetl. J. LEITCH.

coRN-PLANTER.

No. 189,315. Patented Apr'111o,1e77.

lll III IIS v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. LEITC'H. CDRN-PLANTER.

Eatented Apr110,1877,

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented AprllO, 1877.

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I ".PETERS PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D (IV bis theindex-wheel.

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE JOHN LEITCH, OF BLACK EARTH, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-PLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 189,315, dated April 10, 1877 application filed November 21, 1876.

Earth, in the countyl of Dane and State of.

Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and

I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawiug, vand to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in corn-planters, and has for its object to provide a substantial machine which will drop the grain with regularity and in rows which may be cultivated both ways.

It consists in an index-wheel to which is attached a segmental wheel, which is arranged .to engage alternately with two sets of gearing which connect with and operate the dropping devices, and in other mechanism, all ot' which are constructed and arranged to operate in the manner hereinafter fully explained.

In the drawings, Figure l is aplan. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 are, respect-V ively, front and rear elevations, with portions of the frame removed. Fig.. 6 is a longitudi- `nal section of the feed-box, and Fig. 7 is the swingingor pivoted bar orlever for supporting and regulating thel position of the index and segmental wheels, and for throwing the machine out of and in gear. Y

a is the main frame, supported and carried by the wheels al a2, affixed on the revolving axle a3, journaled in bearings on the under side of said frame.

with the axle a3.

It is supported by and revolves on a bolt or axis, b1, which is secured with capability of adjustment in the inclined slot b2 in the hinged or pivoted supportingbar b3. It is engaged and revolved by the master-wheel a4, and revolves one complete revolution 4in the movement of the machinethe distance between two adjacent hills or rows. It will be seen that its circumference indicates the distance apart at which the hills I a4 is the master or driv-` ing gear-wheel, which is fixed on and revolves f are to be planted, and that by employing index-wheels of different sizes the hills may be dropped at any desired distance apart. .It is provided with va stud or piu, b4, standing out from its face, andv so arranged as to engage with the end of a rocking arm or pawl,'b5,

which is pivoted to the frame a, and arranged to engage with a ratchet or stop on the axis of one of the operating-gears, hereinafter described. The stud will disengage the pawl, so that the gearing can revolve.

rBhe bar b3 has its lower or forward end pivoted to the frame a, while its rear end' may be raised or lowered and secured in suitable notches in an adjustable standard, 116.y The 4slot b2 is so formed and arranged as to permit the setting back or forward therein of the axial pin b1, and thereby adapt the latter toreceiveV larger or smaller index and segmental wheels, as may be required.

dis a segmental wheel. lt is made separate from, but is connected by a suitable clutch with and is operated by, the index-wheel b, with which it revolves simultaneously. It is provided on its face with a stud, di, arranged to engage the rear end of the lever or pawl d2, the forward end of which extends to and is adapted to engage andstop the revolution of the axis on which the dropping hoppers or boxes are placed. In its revolutions it engages alternately with the pinions e and f, which, by means of intermediate gear-wheels, causes the alternate operation of the slidevalve in the feed-box and the dropping-hoppers. 5

The revolution of the pinion c communicates motion to the bevel-gears e1 e2, which operate the seed-slide g1 in the feed-box g by means of the connecting-rod or pitman g2. The extended axis of the bevel crankwheel e2 is formed with a suitable stop or ratchet to engage` the end of the lever or pawl b5, which, at the proper moment, stops the further revolution of wheels c1 c?, and, consequently, the further movement of the slide-valve g1. rlhe segmental wheel d and the wheels e e1 cz are so construct- Y into the droppers below.

'cape from the compartments.

4ceive the grain from the feed-box. Theyare so connected, by means ofthe wheels/"3, f2,fl, fautif, with the segmental wheel das to berelment of the machine the distance between two adjacent hills. They deposit the grain in `itlie hills.

seed-slide g1, which movement discharges the requisite amount of grain. fromn the feed-box The feed or grain box g is, by preference, divided into two compartments, g3 g3, by one or more partitions, 71,1,between-Y the `ugnder edges of which and the bottom of the bpx is left a sufcient opening or space to admit the insertion and free reciprocating inoavement off' the seed-slide g1. It is provided with thedischargetubes g4, placed at or near the center of theJ bottom of the compartments g3, which tubes conduct the grain to the droppers underneath. It has the under portion ofthe end boards cut away, so as to provide suitable opening-mm. which afford facilities for the free reciprocating movement of the seed-slide.`

The seedislide g1 is provided with openings g5,` which receive and regulate the quantity of grain to be delivered from the grain-box at each movement of the seed-slide. It rests flat on the bottom of the box, and its neatly the spaces under the partitions h1 and in the ends ofthe grain-box, so thatno grain can esh lr are thecut-offs, arranged one in each compartment. They are straight on their under sides, and lie tlat upon the upper side ofthe seed-slide g1. Their outer ends areseclred rigidly to the underedges ot thepartitions lil, while their inner ends extend slightly beyond and over the discharge tubes g4, and are turned up, as shown at h2, te prevent them from cutting or cracking the grain, and to facilitate the movement of the seed-slide. They are made ot' spring orV other elastic metal, so that they will spring or bend upward, and thereby( adjust themselves to the dier'ent sizes of grains ofcorn, and, at the same time, exert a positive pressure or action downward', and thus prevent the drawing under them by the Seed-slide of more grain than can con` tained in the openings g5. Where elif-offs held down by their own gravity and` the weight of th e grain, or other cut-osof ordinary construe'- tion, areemployed, it frequently occurs that the grains of corn will be drawn with such force against the turned-up ends as to force them upward, and thereby permit more grain Ato be drawn under than is contained in the openings g5, and often in such cases the grains of corn will be forcibly rolled" overand over between the seed-slide andcut-o, andi cracked andbroken. These difliculties'` are entirely obviat'ed by my improved spring c'ntoif.

The droppers it' are fixed onand' revolve with the axis i ofthe pinion f3, and: they" are placed undeivaimid in such position as tore volved" one full revolution with" each move-` The'axis z" is provided with a suit-i able 'ratelietor stop to engage the end' of the b, having a studf,"b",r and; me" seedlshde stead-ily in position below the feed-box.

It will be seen that my machine is adapted tiodropn twofj-rows'ata` time, and that being set to drop the first hills in the proper place,

the succeeding hills will be dropped at equal 1 distances' apartandlwth regularity.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

LThe index-wheel being adjusted so as to cause the rst hill to be droppedin the desiredplace,

`the machine is moved forward, and tlie seg- "ment-al' wheel clears the pinion f and immedii ately engages the pinion e. At the same time the stud b4 actuates the lever b5, disengaging it from itshold on tlie axis? of the wheel e2'. The wheel c2 is revolyedby' the `sgmental and intermediate whee1`s,`,` causing the* seed; slide g1" to be thro-wn out and ba'cl, so `that the penings`g5 may receive andcarry the necessary grain andldeposit itin the droppers; This beingd'one, a brief` period" oi" time intervenes before the segmental wheel engagesthe pinion'f, dliring'whiclfi time the operator may see thecorn in the droppers, and can know whether the properquantit'y is being` dropped? As soon as tlewlieel d has cleared the pinion f, the lever b5 engages and stops the revolution of` the wheel e2. i 4 The stud d? comes now in contact with the lever d2, and disengages the latter from its hold on the axis fi',` and immediately the seg# mental wheel engages thepinion f,land causes the revolutionof theaxis i" by" leansy ofthe intermediate wheels, so that the droppen 'i are' turned one complete evjpifi, dept y ting' thegrain in the hills,"` and stopping in psitio'n immediatelyjundefthe fedjfnx, when the segmeucarwheei taserearefi nivvnei f.

axis if, and' me segmental wheel immediately engages with the wheel e, and the wstnd'di with the leverw d2, andl the operation 'rst describedi's repeated; y I

tliis double` operation the" eorn is Iit only dropped" regular]yandy at equal distanpes apart, but the operation may' bejinspected as it' proceeds. n j

The standardi b6 has its lower end" slotted', and `may be set higher or" Iowertojadapt it to had` the rever@ taf b'whe differenesizea whee1s-areemp1oyed;

iravmgA described my invention, i what: `i

claim, and' desire' to secure by Letters" Patent,

the feed-nox g, of che" segmental* wneelzj d; 1-

ver lis, gearsecl' and pitinan g2, substantially as and for the purpose setrforth; 2': The combination, wien me indtxwiieerb and dappere ai, mounted* ,mi me' axisv', or

the segmental wheel' d, having mestfud d1; lver` d2, and gear-wheels fgjfl, f3 anfrf, suba stantialiy as and fof-the pnrposest frtli."

3. In a maohine for planting grain, the seg- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as mental Wheel d, provided with stud or pin d1, my own I affix my signature in presence of adapted to be attached-to an index-Wheel, b, two Witnesses.

and arranged to engage alternately with and operate the two sets of gearing which operate Witnesses:

the gage-valve and dropping-hoppen, sub- JAS. C. GOWDERY, stantially as set forth. BENJAMIN R. OOMILAY.

JOHN LEITCH. 

